title: The incidence of serious eye injury in Scotland: a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ocular trauma remains an important cause of visual morbidity worldwide. A previous population-based study in Scotland reported a 1-year cumulative incidence of 8.14 per 100 000 population. The purpose of this study was to identify any change in the incidence and pattern of serious ocular trauma in Scotland.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a 1-year prospective observational study using the British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit reporting scheme among Scottish ophthalmologists. Serious ocular trauma was defined as requiring hospital admission. Data were collected using two questionnaires for each patient 1 year apart.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate from ophthalmologists was 77.1%. There were 102 patients reported with complete data giving an incidence of 1.96 per 100 000 population, four times less than in 1992. In patients younger than 65 years, the age-adjusted incidence ratio (males/females) indicated a ninefold higher risk of trauma in males. In 25 patients (27.2%), the injured eye was blind (final visual acuities (FVA) <6/60), 24 being attributable to the eye injury. Standardised morbidity ratios suggested a threefold decrease in risk of poor visual outcome in 2009 compared with 1992.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of serious ocular trauma has fallen; this study has shown hospital admission for serious eye injury in Scotland has decreased fourfold in 17 years. Young adult males continue to be at highest risk, which needs to be specifically addressed in future health-prevention strategies. This study also observed a reduction in visual loss from serious ocular injuries, although the reasons for this require further exploration.
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Eye Unit, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: University of Cardiff Medical School, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Ophthalmology, University College of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Minassian
authors.affiliation: British Ophthalmic Surveillance Unit, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, London, UK.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Foot
authors.affiliation: Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.affiliation: University Department of Ophthalmology, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: MacEwen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000453:epidemiology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult